The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-05
HOW TOMMY WENT TO SEA.
Col. Tom Ochiltree Tells Judge Clair
Story.
From the Ne,c York Evening St:,l


A table separated Col Tom Ochiltree ard
Judge Clair at the Hoffman House recently.
A corpulent bottle stood on the table which
contained poppy juice The Colonel locked
dreamily out of the window at the stream of
people pouring out of Madison Square Tho
atre. Inside the room a partially intoxi-
Gated man was criticising Mr.. Boagurreau's
masterpiece, and telling a friend how he
would have painted some of the lines III the
famous picture. A few Generals and SEN
ators were scattered ahoCt the room in care
less attitudes.
''You seem little off color tonight,
Tom," said tie Judge. Take little
stimulus"
II have no taste for the Internal stuff to-
night, Judge The fact is, I'm a trifie senti-
mental. Let me tell you story"
The Judge lit a cigar and listened
Last Sunday" said the Colonel, things
were rather dull around the hotel. About
noon took cross town car to Grand street
ferry, and crossed over to Brooklyn. just
after | boarded a Nostrand avenue car
laboring man, with his wife and two chill
dren, signalled the conductor. Tommy, the
eldest of the children, was placed Ill the cor
ner of a seat next to me, and in few min
utes we became fast friends. Tommy was
small and round His copper-toed shoes
reached only half way to the floor. He
wore faded suit of blue flannel and peak
less cap from under the front of which there
trickled few strands of corn-colored hair.
There was a deep Dolly Warden dimple in
his chin and q number of irregular dents in
his cheeks made by the smallpox, whose
ragged outlines were softened by FAINT
flush of health He was an inquisitive little
chap. He wanted to know if | could get
the in curve on base bali, and whether
ever knocked out marbles. When ] told
him that the only game L played was with
pieces of card board on which were painted
pictures of kings and queens, diamonds and
spades; that clubs were sometimes used in
the game, and that the gamesters were i'll
the habit of playing tricks on each other, his
blue ewes opened wide and he wanted to
learn how to play this wonderful game. He
protested when ! told him he wasn't big
enough to understand it that he was big
germ his brother Johnny
''The air of Brooklyn was quiet and
dreamy that afternoon. The car rolled by
long avenues of arching trees Sabbath
quiet was in the air The hum of bees and
the sweet smells from flower gardens lulled
Tommy to sleep. He lurched forward
several times when the car come to a sud
den stop, and ] pushed him back into the
seat But there came a time when my at
tention was diverted and Tommy rolled out
of the car upon the track, and one of the
iron wheels crushed his left leg just above
the ankle.
"There was weeping by the women and
the mems faces were pale. Tommy's father
tore off his coat and vest and tied his sus-
penders around his boys leg above the frac-
ture. AS was natural under the circum-
stances, there was no color left in IOmmy's
cheeks, and his face wore an anxious, trou
bled look as though he failed to realize the
extent of his misfortune. His eyes were
~ Nlo,,I,r of hn1
gone out of them. As he lay in his fathers
arms wrapped in his coat, his little brother
pulled at Tommy'S coat and called on him
to get up; but Tommy only answered with
q wan smile. The sun shone just as brightly
as before the avenues of trees looked just
as invitingIy cool, and happy children on
the street laughed as gleefully as before. To
Tommy's mother the landscape wore fune-
real garb. Every tree was draped in
shadows, and the stain of blood was on the
fences. In fancy she saw wagon with black
plumes winding slowly down the road at
tended by decOrOus coaches.
&" God is good she sobbed but Tommy
never did amy one HARM
"The men on the back seat threw their
cigars away and the driver dashed his horses
into gallop.
els he hurried muchP said prospective
bride to her intended husband.
- He is that. His leg is mashed
An will he die, | dunnoP
"'Mebbe he will an mebbe he won't.
Sure We can't tell till tn sawboneS gets at
him.
1.-The car rolled swiftly by an old lady
who waved her umbrella frantcally on the
corner There was a stern setting of the
fathers jaw and mute protest on his face
which relapsed into an expression of Infinite
compassion as Tommy feebly asked him:
Are we nearly home"
"When the father reached home with his
burden and Tommy had been made as
easy as possible, the doctor was called in.
There was a CLEAN of steel, and Tommy
weighed a few pounds less than when he
started for Coney Island two hours before.
Although the doctor thought that Tommy
was last losing sight of the land-he was even
in the Narrows now in the doctors opinion
he did not go into the kitchen, from whence
there came a faint sobblng, to say so.
Tommy's hair was brushed back from his
forehead and the varnish of candy washed
from his face. 1t is questionable whether
the boy was any more picturesque looking
for the bath. AS the twilight came on
the next evening Tommy had been swept
further out toward the sea. The tide had
evidently been running strong during the
night, and the foam-creSted waves were
leaping hungrily at him. A rosebud lay on
his pillow. Perhaps it was the warmth OF
helped to unfold it, At least the rose slowly
opened its red heart and a faint perfume
filled the room. Well some time during the
night Tommy drifted out past Sandy Hook,
out of sight of the friendly lighthouse, out
of sight of land, beyond the smell of flowers
and beyond the gaze of his mother. Per
haps the tide carried him to a shore beyond
the sea, and he may be picked up by some
friendly wrecker. You are aware, Judge,
presume, that there is legend to the effect
that harpers harp upon their harps inside
the breakers across the sea to guide
the shipwreclled through openings in the
surfn
Yes, the Judge had heard of the legend,
and although he didn't pretend to under
stand it., yet he had a kind of lingering be-
lief that it was true.
The Colonel got up from his chair and
stretched himself fIe looked critically at a
marble Venus standing in the corner and
yawned Whether the yawn was an aifecta-
ton of lack of interest which he did not
feel the Judge did not know, but he is
willing to bet six days on the island
against grocery store cigar that he heard
the Colonel cumming under his breath
a snatch of song which went something like
this:
Why art thou better seen toward night, dear
landg
Look always fair, lock always bright,
That gaze